LONDON — Every couple must forge their own unique path in the bedroom, and figure out for themselves what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes it can be difficult, or awkward, for partners to be honest with each other about sex. That being said, a new study that included 2,000 British citizens in relationships finds the vast majority of couples are having serious problems between the sheets.
According to the research, performed as part of Ann Summers’ recent Pleasure Positivity Project, four in five women (81%) are not comfortable telling their significant other that they aren’t having enough orgasms. Similarly, only two in five women (42%) say they are fully satisfied after having sex with their partner. For what it’s worth, 52% of men say they are usually satisfied after sex with their partner.
Additionally, 20% of the study’s female participants very rarely, or never, achieve orgasm during sex. Researchers even did the math, and concluded that the average British woman misses out on 1,734 orgasms over the course of her life.
So, how often are couples getting together for some alone time? In all, 49% say they have sex at least once a week, and 19% report having sex two to three times per week. However, according to the study’s responses, 10% of British couples never have sex.
Not everyone is shy about sex, though: 59% of the study’s participants say they are comfortable talking about their sexual desires with their partner, and 40% say they do so on a weekly basis. Still, 20% of female participants admit they are not comfortable discussing anything sexual with their partner.
Participants were also asked about their sexual fantasies, with trying a new position (24%) and using sex toys (20%) being the most common. Among women, one in five say a sex toy is their ultimate fantasy, which is especially curious because 37% of all participants say they’ve never used one.